Starrk and Picaro

The moment that name was spoken, Aoto could feel a spiritual perception land upon him, accompanied by an intense, biting chill.

Although Aoto waved his hand to dissipate it, Isshin Shiba felt it as well.

The most crucial aspect of a Zanpakuto is its name.

To achieve Shikai, the key lies in communicating with one's Zanpakuto during the blade meditation to obtain its name.

Once the name is known, one can initiate Shikai directly!

Even if one intentionally omits the full incantation, a partial Shikai can still be achieved.

Right now, Hyōrinmaru simply didn't want Aoto to tell Shiro its name; otherwise, there would be no challenge left at all!

Aoto hadn't intended to do so anyway.

It wouldn't benefit Shiro.

Besides... Aoto didn't think Hyōrinmaru could hold out much longer.

He had a feeling that once Shiro was given a Zanpakuto, Hyōrinmaru would be unable to wait to reveal its name to him.

Noticing this reaction from Shiro allowed Isshin Shiba to confirm that what Aoto said was true.

The strongest ice-type Zanpakuto of the past, Hyōrinmaru?

That really didn't suit the 11th Division.

Since the name of Hyōrinmaru's Bankai had also been passed down, Shiro could be one hundred percent certain that he would be able to master Bankai in the future.

In that case, he wasn't just a promising talent; he was a captain-in-waiting.

With such a bargain on the table, it would be a waste not to take it.

"I agree!" Isshin Shiba smiled brilliantly. "Brother Hyakume! If you need any help in the future, feel free to contact our 10th Division. Our two divisions should interact more often!"

Uh, so now I'm his "brother"?

Doesn't that make me Kaien's uncle for no reason?

That sounds like a great deal!

Next time I see Kaien, I must tell him—Kaien, you really need to be more careful!

Aoto's expression as he looked at Isshin Shiba was naturally just as brilliant.

"If Captain Shiba says so, then this humble one shall not decline!" Aoto said respectfully. "It just so happens that our captain has been lacking opponents lately and is in a very bad mood. Captain Shiba's Getsuga Tensho is incredibly overbearing; could you perhaps..."

Before Aoto could finish his sentence, Isshin Shiba took off. "I just remembered I have laundry to take in at home! Brother Hyakume, let's meet again next time..."

Isshin Shiba's Shunpo was extremely fast; if Aoto hadn't had sharp ears, he wouldn't have even heard what he said at the end.

However, seeing this reaction, Aoto laughed out loud.

Zaraki Kenpachi, indeed a presence that everyone avoids like the plague.

Even if Aoto were in his true form, he probably wouldn't want to fight him either!

That freak who loves a good time... he learned to seal his own spiritual pressure just to enjoy the thrill of battle; he might just explode with power right when he's about to be hacked to death!

It's truly impossible to imagine where his limits lie!

Rangiku Matsumoto did not run off with Isshin Shiba.

Her expression was somewhat resentful now. "I asked so many times and you wouldn't do it, but as soon as the captain arrives, you bring it up yourself. Fourth Seat Hyakume, are you playing with me?"

"I only just confirmed Shiro's Zanpakuto, didn't I? If he had a direct-attack type Zanpakuto, even if Captain Shiba came, I would have kept him in the 11th Division!" Aoto replied with an innocent look. "I can only say your luck is terrible! You couldn't see through what you wanted to do, and now you're blaming me for it!"

This reasoning was impeccable!

Rangiku Matsumoto had no way to argue back.

But after thinking it over carefully, her main goal had been achieved!

Even though it was Aoto who proposed it, it was now certain that Shiro would come to the 10th Division in the future!

It felt quite satisfying!

Even Captain Shiba would surely credit this achievement to her!

Rangiku Matsumoto smiled like a little fox once again.

Watching her expression shift back and forth, Aoto truly couldn't understand her!

Women are truly hard to fathom!

"By the way, Fourth Seat Matsumoto!" Aoto looked at Rangiku Matsumoto and instructed her earnestly. "You've been sneaking around to spy on us for so many days; your own training must have slacked off! You should train more! Don't let my disciple overtake you and become a lieutenant first!"

After saying this, Aoto picked up Shiro and went back into the room with his grandmother!

Hearing Aoto's words, Rangiku Matsumoto couldn't help but grit her teeth at him.

But, what he said seemed to make sense.

Having seen Shiro's rapid improvement, she really should be more diligent!

Although she was a Fourth Seat, Rangiku Matsumoto had long possessed the spiritual power of a fifth-class lieutenant, and recently, there was even a trend toward fourth-class.

It was just that compared to the time when she had first become a Soul Reaper, the rate of her spiritual pressure growth had slowed down significantly!

Is it because I haven't been training properly lately?

Rangiku Matsumoto felt that this also had something to do with her Zanpakuto, Haineko, constantly giving her the cold shoulder recently.

She just hoped that he wouldn't truly be surpassed by that little one so easily!

Las Noches.

At this moment, the King of Hueco Mundo was surrounded by a group of small children.

The hollow holes and spiritual pressure on their bodies indicated that they were all Hollows... and all of them were Adjuchas-level Menos.

Or rather, they were all actually the same Adjuchas.

Picaro, that was their name.

A Menos formed after a group of hollows that had died of starvation devoured one another, they regained their sanity after becoming Adjuchas. Yet, whenever they encountered a child who had just turned into a hollow, they would voluntarily offer their own flesh for the other to devour.

Although this caused them to lose the chance to evolve into a Vasto Lorde, every hollow that consumed their flesh became a part of them.

Once the original Adjuchas had completely vanished, these child-like hollows were all Picaro!

The Picaros were capable of transferring spiritual pressure between one another with almost zero loss.

While a single Picaro could not defeat a powerful hollow, a gathering of ten could instantly take down a Gillian.

A union of one hundred could achieve a destructive force comparable to the Bankai of Byakuya Kuchiki.

And at this moment, the number of Picaros gathered in Las Noches... was over three hundred!

They were currently like obedient grandsons, happily taking candies from the hands of the King of Hueco Mundo and scurrying off to the side to eat them.

The Picaros would occasionally fight among themselves, but other Picaros would always step in to break up the scuffles.

When they weren't facing an external threat, it was impossible to tell that they were actually all one entity.

But the most noteworthy point was that the masks on the faces of the Picaros had all shattered!

They were now revealing the faces of small children, which was what made them look so adorable.

If they hadn't undergone Arrancarization and were all still wearing their hollow masks, the Picaros would have been quite terrifying!

Standing beside the King of Hueco Mundo was another handsome man with no mask on his face at all, watching the Picaros beside him with great indulgence... which made a girl who looked to be in her teens standing next to him feel very jealous.

This handsome man was Coyote Starrk, a Vasto Lorde who had achieved Arrancarization entirely through his own power.

And that girl was Lilynette Gingerbuck, the other half of himself that he had split off when he became an Arrancar!